Some vehicles are now being designed to form an air curtain over the front wheels of the vehicle for reducing turbulence, and improving fuel efficiency. In order to form the air curtain, the front fascia of the body is equipped with an opening in the front fascia, located at a lower, front corner of the body. Air ducts route a flow of high pressure air from the opening to an outlet that is disposed at a forward edge of the front wheel well, adjacent the side of the body. The flow of air is discharged at a high speed, and flows across and covers the exterior of the front wheels like a curtain, thereby reducing undesirable aerodynamic turbulence around the rotating wheels.
Some vehicles also include a brake cooling system. The brake cooling system includes an inlet or opening disposed at the forward end of the vehicle, and collects a flow of air which is directed to a brake system, through one or more air ducts, to cool the brake system. Typically, the inlet of the brake duct is in fluid communication with a brake cooling opening in the forward end of the body, often disposed at an outboard lower vertical edge of the forward end of the body. The air flows through the brake cooling opening and through the brake duct continuously when the vehicle is in motion, even when the brake system does not require cooling. This continuous airflow through the brake cooling opening and brake duct introduces a constant aerodynamic drag onto the vehicle, thereby limiting the performance of the vehicle and reducing fuel efficiency of the vehicle.